Conventional satellite-based positioning techniques are based on the use of special navigation signals transmitted from several navigational satellites. In the global positioning system (GPS), for example, a constellation of GPS satellites transmit L1 and L2 carrier signals modulated with C/A and P code signals. By measuring these code signals, a user receiver can determine its position to an accuracy of several meters.
To determine the user position with higher accuracy, a differential technique can be used. A reference receiver having a known position also measures the code signals and calculates its position. The reference receiver then calculates a differential correction by comparing its known position with this calculated position, and transmits this correction to the user receiver. Assuming the user receiver is near the reference station, it can use the differential correction data to improve the accuracy of its position estimate down to approximately 1 meter.
Various proposed techniques provide positioning accuracy on the order of 1 cm. In addition to measuring the code signals from the GPS satellites, these techniques use carrier phase measurements of the signals from the GPS navigational satellites. Typically, this carrier phase positioning technique uses differential carrier phase correction data from a reference station in order to improve performance. There is a significant difficulty inherent to this technique, however. When tracking a carrier signal of a navigational satellite transmission, one is able to directly measure the phase of the signal, but one cannot determine by direct measurement how many complete integer cycles have elapsed between the times of signal emission and reception. The measured carrier signal thus has an inherent integer cycle ambiguity which must be resolved in order to use the carrier phase measurements for positioning. Consequently, much research in the art of satellite-based positioning has focused on resolving these cycle ambiguities in carrier phase measurements of GPS satellite signals.
MacDoran and Spitzmesser (U.S. Pat. No. 4,797,677) describe a method for deriving pseudoranges of GPS satellites by successively resolving integers for higher and higher signal frequencies with measurements independent of the integers being resolved. The first measurement resolves the number of C/A code cycles using a Doppler range; these integers provide for independent measurements to resolve the number of P code cycles, and so on for the L2 and L1 carriers. This technique, however, assumes exact correlation between satellite and user frequency standards (i.e., the user requires an atomic clock), and provides no means of correcting for atmospheric distortions.
A similar technique, called dual-frequency wide-laning, involves multiplying and filtering the L2 and L1 signals from a GPS satellite to form a beat signal of nominal wavelength 86 cm, which is longer than either that of the L1 signal (19 cm) or the L2 signal (24 cm). Integer ambiguities are then resolved on this longer wavelength signal. Since the L2 component is broadcast with encryption modulation, however, this technique requires methods of cross-correlation, squaring, or partially resolving the encryption. These techniques are difficult to implement and how low integrity.
Hatch (U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,889) describes a technique for resolving integer ambiguities using measurements from redundant GPS satellites. Initial carrier-phase data is collected from the minimum number of GPS satellites needed to resolve the relative position between two antennae. From these measurements, a set of all possible integer combinations is derived. Using carrier phase measurements from an additional GPS satellite, the unlikely integer combinations are systematically eliminated. This technique is suited to the context of attitude determination where both receivers use the same frequency standard and the distance between the antennae is fixed. This approach, however, is ill-adapted for positioning over large displacements, where the initial set of satellites is four and the distance between the receivers is not known a priori, the technique is then extremely susceptible to noise, and computationally intensive. Knight (U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,861) details an approach similar to that of Hatch, except that a more efficient technique is derived for eliminating unlikely integer combinations from the feasible set. Knight""s technique also assumes that the two receivers are on the same clock standard.
Counselman (U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,574) discloses a technique for GPS positioning that does not resolve integer cycle ambiguity resolution but rather finds the baseline vector between two fixed antennae by searching the space of possible baseline vectors. The antennae track the GPS satellite signals for a period of roughly 30 minutes. The baseline is selected that best accounts for the phase changes observed with the motion of the GPS satellites. This technique, however, assumes that the baseline vector remains constant over the course of all the measurements during the 30 minute interval, and is therefore only suitable for surveying applications. Moreover, it also assumes that the clock offset between user and reference receivers remains constant over the 30 minute measurement interval.
A motion-based method for aircraft attitude determination has been disclosed. This method involves placing antennae on the aircraft wings and tail, as well as a reference antenna on the fuselage. The integer ambiguities between the antennae can be rapidly resolved as the changes in aircraft attitude alter the antenna geometry relative to the GPS satellite locations. This approach, however, is limited to attitude determination and is not suitable for precise absolute positioning of the aircraft itself.
Current state-of-the art kinematic carrier phase GPS navigation systems for absolute positioning have been disclosed. These systems achieve rapid resolution of cycle ambiguities using ground-based navigational pseudo satellites (pseudolites) which transmit either an additional ranging signal (Doppler Marker) or a signal in phase with one of the satellites (Synchrolites). Although this approach rapidly achieves high precision absolute positioning, it provides high precision and integrity only when the user moves near the ground-based pseudolites. In addition, the pseudolites are expensive to maintain.
Therefore, each of the existing techniques for satellite-based navigation suffers from one or more of the following drawbacks: (a) it does not provide centimeter-level accuracy, (b) it does not quickly resolve integer cycle ambiguities, (c) it is not suitable for kinematic applications, (d) it provides only attitude information and does not provide absolute position information, (e) it does not have high integrity, (f) it requires the deployment and maintenance of pseudolities, (g) its performance is limited to users in a small geographical area near pseudolities, or (h) it requires the user receiver and/or the reference receiver to have an expensive highly stable oscillator.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for centimeter-level kinematic positioning with rapid acquisition times and high integrity. In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide such a method that does not depend on additional signals transmitted from nearby navigational pseudolite transmitter, and does not require a highly stable oscillator such as an atomic clock. It is further an object of the invention to provide a navigation system requiring only carrier phase information. These together with other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following description.
In order to obtain high-integrity estimation of integer cycle ambiguities, carrier-phase measurements must be made for a time interval long enough that the displacement vectors between the user and the signal sources undergo substantial geometric change. Surprisingly, the present inventors have discovered a method and system for fast acquisition, high integrity, kinematic carrier-phase positioning using a non-navigational signals from low earth orbit (LEO) satellites which are not necessarily intended for navigational use. The short orbital periods of these LEO satellites provide the required change in geometry for resolution of cycle ambiguities with high reliability in a few minutes. The technique, therefore, provides fast acquisition, high precision and high integrity without depending on signals from ground-based pseudolites in close proximity to the user. In addition, the technique has the advantage that it does not require that the LEO satellites have any special features (e.g. atomic clocks or the ability to transmit navigational signals).
Remarkably, the present inventors have discovered a system and method for satellite-based navigation using signals from non-navigational satellites in low earth orbit. Beginning only with an estimate of the user clock offset, high precision kinematic positioning is provided using only carrier-phase signals transmitted from earth orbiting satellites. By using signals from at least one LEO satellite, high integrity and fast acquisition is provided. The other signals may be from other satellites, including high earth orbit navigational satellites, or from any other space-based or earth-based sources, including pseudolites and other earth-based transmitters. Only the carrier phase signals from these other sources are required.
In a preferred embodiment, an initial estimate of the user position and clock offset is provided by conventional code-phase differential GPS techniques. In addition, differential carrier phase measurements are used in order to eliminate errors caused by atmospheric phase distortion, satellite ephemeris deviations, and deliberate corruption of the satellite signals. As will become apparent, however, the fundamental technique of using non-navigational carrier signals from LEO satellites for resolving integer cycle ambiguities in a navigational system is not limited to these specific implementations. In alternative embodiments, for example, an initial clock offset may be estimated by any combination of known techniques for navigation, including anything from sophisticated earth-based radio navigation to simply calibrating the user receiver to a known reference.
In the preferred embodiment, centimeter-level positioning is provided by combining the navigational data available from GPS satellites with the non-navigational carrier phase data available from LEO satellites. In addition, the non-navigational carrier phase data from the GPS satellites is used. The method is robust to frequency-dependent phase-lags in the navigation receivers, as well as to instabilities in the crystal oscillators of the satellites, and of the receivers. We describe how the general technique can be applied to a variety of different satellite communication configurations. Such configurations include satellite transmission of multiple beams with different phase-paths, and bent-pipe architectures where the uplink signal is frequency-converted by the satellite and retransmitted.
Generally, in one aspect of the invention a user device is provided for satellite-based navigation. The device comprises at least one antenna for coupling to signals transmitted from a set of satellites. The set of satellites includes a set of LEO satellites that do not necessarily transmit navigational information. A receiver in the device tracks the signals to obtain carrier phase information comprising geometrically diverse carrier phase information from the LEO satellites. A microprocessor in the device calculates the precise position of the user device based on the carrier phase information and an initial estimate of the device clock offset. In a preferred embodiment, the device calculates an initial estimate of position and clock offset from code phase information derived from navigational signals transmitted by navigational satellites. In addition, the preferred embodiment uses reference carrier phase information transmitted from a reference station to improve the accuracy of the position estimate.
In another aspect of the invention, a satellite-based navigation system is provided. The system comprises a set of satellites, including LEO satellites, that transmit carrier signals, a reference station, and a user device. The reference station samples the carrier signals to obtain reference carrier phase information which is then transmitted to the user device over a communication link. In addition to receiving the reference carrier phase information, the user device directly tracks the carrier signals to obtain user carrier phase information from the set of LEO satellites. The user device then calculates its precise position based on the reference carrier phase information and the user carrier information. The calculation uses the geometrically diverse reference and user carrier information from the LEO satellites to quickly resolve parameters related to the integer cycle ambiguities in the reference and user carrier phase information. In a preferred embodiment, the calculation of the user position is based on an initial estimated clock offset and position calculated from navigational code phase signals transmitted from a set of navigational satellites. Preferably, the reference station also transmits differential code phase correction data to the user to improve the accuracy of the initial estimate.
In another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for estimating a precise position of a user device in a satellite-based navigation system. The method comprises transmitting carrier signals from a set of satellites, wherein the set of satellites includes a set of LEO satellites; tracking at a user device the carrier signals to obtain user carrier phase information comprising geometrically diverse user carrier phase information from the set of LEO satellites; and calculating the precise position of the user device based on an initial position estimate and the user carrier phase information, wherein the calculation uses the geometrically diverse user carrier information from the set of LEO satellites to quickly resolve integer cycle ambiguities in the user carrier phase information. In a preferred embodiment, the method includes tracking at a reference station the carrier signals to obtain reference carrier phase information comprising geometrically diverse reference carrier phase information from the set of LEO satellites. The reference carrier phase information is then used to improve the accuracy of the position calculation. In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises estimating an approximate user position and clock offset using code phase signals received from a set of navigational satellites. Preferably, differential code phase techniques are used to improve the accuracy of the initial estimate. The preferred embodiment of the method also includes additional advantageous techniques such as: compensating for frequency dependent phase delay differences between carrier signals in user and reference receiver circuits, reading navigation carrier information and LEO carrier information within a predetermined time interval selected in dependence upon an expected motion of the user receiver and the LEO signal sources, calibrating LEO oscillator instabilities using navigation satellite information, compensating for phase disturbances resulting from a bent pipe LEO communication architecture, compensating for oscillator instabilities in the user and reference receivers, predicting present reference carrier phase information based on past reference carrier phase information, and monitoring the integrity of the position calculation.